


What's This About Rocks?

by singedsun



Category: Critical Role (Web Series), Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Drinking, Gen, So This is a Thing that Happened, Walk Into A Bar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2019-08-23
Packaged: 2020-09-24 15:20:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20360707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/singedsun/pseuds/singedsun
Summary: Vex navigates her way to the Labryinth to find herself in the Goblin City, near her goal... an object she needs from the Goblin King, Jareth. She stops in a tavern hoping to find something helpful and stumbles across Hoggle.





	What's This About Rocks?

"Finally, something I halfway recognize." Vex pushes open the plain wooden door she hopes is going to lead her into something like a tavern.

The inside thankfully resembles a tavern like one she might find in the southern wilds, it's small and rundown and the clientele is definitely not as diverse as she expected. It's honest to say that the majority of creatures she's come across in this labyrinth are not humans, nor are they races she's spent a lot of time around, aside from those early days with Vox Machina, dispatching roving goblin raiders. Instinct makes her want to pull Fenthras from her shoulder, instead she lowers a hand to the dagger at her belt.

Vax whispers in her mind as if he stood just over her left shoulder, _Jenga._

The voice that's more reasonable, more tempered in these days, that makes her heart ache for her home and her husband says, "_Hold, dear. Just wait a bit._"

So she does, ignoring the stares from the goblins, dwarves and others she has no names for exactly to approach what appears to be the bar. It's a simple wooden counter, built lower to the ground as if to further illustrate her height disparity from the other patrons. She sits on a stool to help alleviate most of the distance between her and the dwarven barkeep.

"An ale, please, if you have it?" She says, flashing the dwarven man behind the counter a smile.

"Found your way into the city, eh?" His gaze draws up past her gaze to the blue feather stuck proudly behind her ear. "We're still rebuilding, so try not to destroy it with rocks when you go in, will ya?"

It's not uncommon to hear about rebuilding efforts throughout Tal'dorei these days, but she's yet to hear something about being destroyed by rocks. But the request doesn't seem to require a response by the man as he turns around to the barrels behind him to pour her drink, so she take the chance to cast her gaze down the counter to few other occupied stools. Beside her, another dwarven man twists his hands over and over each other, each wrist covered in a dozen or more jangling bits of jewelry with colorful baubles and bells. He has large light brown eyes that quickly dart away when he catches her looking.

Vex leans over, "I like your jewels, very fetching," she says with a wink.

She needs someone in here on her side, someone that can help her navigate the remaining distance to the castle with whatever time she has left. This is the only place she's found so far populated by what seem like odd but perhaps reasonable people. At least a tavern with people eating and drinking seems more normal than any of the other odd folks she's come across. Nervous as this man seems, she's definitely got his attention and that's better than the blank stares from much of the rest of the bar.

"Eh, um, well, thank you. But you can't have them," the dwarven man says, tightly crossing his hands to his chest.

"Oh, no, that isn't what I meant at all," Vex shakes her head and pats his shoulder in what she hopes is a reassuring gesture. "I was only complementing them. I haven't seen anyone here quite so lavishly appointed."

"Oh, eh, that's alright then." He keeps his hands to his chest, but seems to relax.

The bartender slides a mug across to Vex, and she grabs it, peering inside. It's a dark brown liquid, thick but not unpleasant to smell. Although all her senses have felt a bit off in this place.

"So tell me then, what's this about rocks? The city is rebuilding from something? Was it a dragon attack?"

"Oh, no no no," the dwarf next to her says, "nothing like that."

The bartender taps the counter, staring intensely at Vex.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, hang on. What is it I owe you for the drink?"

The dwarf signals to a board behind him, something in Dwarvish written on it, with scratches below in a language she doesn't know but assumes must be Goblin.

"Sorry, it's just… I don't--" She turns to the dwarven man beside her, hoping for help.

"Oh, eh, it's a copper for the ale," he says.

She fishes the coin from her purse and hands it to the bartender, given her new companion a whispered, "_thank you"_.

"I'm Vex'ahlia, by the way." She reaches her hand out to the dwarf.

He doesn't take it but nods and gives a wave of his hand. "Hoggle."

"Well, thank you, Hoggle. I'm sorry to admit I don't read any Dwarvish, I always meant to pick it up, just… never had the time."

Hoggle shrugs, "Most of you don't, though most of you don't come through here neither."

"Most of us?"

"Humans." His nose wrinkles as he says it, disdain clear in his voice.

"Well, I'm only half human. But I suppose in this case it doesn't make me so much different," she says with a shrug.

Hoggle grunts and she can't quite tell if it's acceptance or annoyance or just plain disinterest. But she's still keen for the story of the rocks, and whether or not there's knowledge that might help her into the castle, so she presses her luck.

"So Hoggle, about the rebuilding? The rocks?"

"Ohhh, it was awhile ago, a girl…" His voice drifts for a moment and he goes quiet and thoughtful, features softening. He twists a bracelet on his wrist.

"A girl, a human girl?"

"Um, yes, a human girl, and a large creature, and a knight… and--" He shifts on his stool and takes a drink of the ale before him on the bar. "Well, anyway, they were able to call these rocks into the city and there was a battle. Eh, it's um, a long story."

"Ah, so not a dragon?"  
  
"No, I ain't never even seen one. Don't think Jareth would let one in anyhow."

Vex laughs, the notion that the odd, mad, attractive fae that's lured her here would have enough power to dissuade a dragon from entering his domain. Although, his power is quite immense, she's seen the application of it… is currently living it, in this strange time altered place. The fae are mysterious, and as she reaches a hand back to caress the bottom of her bow, _powerful._ Perhaps the idea isn't so ridiculous.

One with the power to turn away an ancient creature like Thordak? She shivers and wishes very much for her friends. Or just a handful of comforting bear fur to run her hand through.

"So this human girl and the others with her managed to take down this town with some rocks?"

"There was a fight, and then she went into that castle to face Jareth…" Hoggle goes thoughtful again, looking down into the mug in front of him.

"He's still there so she didn't defeat him--"

"No, no. Not exactly. But she got what she came for from Jareth."

"So it's possible?" Vex leans in, lowering her head to try and catch Hoggle's eye.

"I can't help you," Hoggle whispers. "I ain't supposed to help no one."

"Not supposed to?" She smiles, assessing the droop of his shoulders and the sadness in his tone. Quietly she asks, "Have you before?"

Hoggle's head moves in a slow nod. "Tried to. She gave me this." He holds up his wrist and points to a small bracelet with orange beads.

"The human girl?"

"Sarah."

"She got out you said, with whatever she came for?"

"Home safe and sound with her family now," he says.

"Couldn't have been all bad then." Vex straightens up again. "Means it's doable, getting in, getting out." _Getting home._

"Suppose so."

"Anything else you know? About what she did? How she got away?"

Hoggle gives a sharp shake of his head. "No no no. Ask someone else. Not me, not again." He sighs and takes a drink, setting down his mug with some force.

"That's alright, darling," Vex says softly. She rests a hand on Hoggle's arm. "I'm quite capable, I just like to know my odds. I've been through worse."

"Worse than Jareth?" Hoggle scoffs. Vex nods and Hoggle looks up curiously. "You mentioned something about a dragon?"

"More than one, actually. Not alone though, there was a lot of help."

"You got others with you?" One of Hoggle's thick, bushy eyebrows lifts up. "Help you fight him?"

Vex sighs and shakes her head. "Just me and my bow."

"Well… whatever you're after better be worth going up against him."

"I hope so, Hoggle. I think so." Vex pushes the tall hat she wears back on her head and grins. "I was invited, after all."


End file.
